Food Safety Culture (Part 4 Performance Measurement): What’s Your Auditor Looking For?

In accordance with FSSC 22000 version 6 clause 2.5.8 Food Safety and Quality Culture, as part of the organization’s commitment to cultivating a positive food safety and quality culture, senior management shall establish, implement and maintain a food safety and quality culture objective(s) as part of the management system. The following elements shall be addressed as a minimum:

• Communication
• Training
• Employee feedback and engagement.
• Performance measurement of defined activities covering all sections of the organization impacting on food safety and quality.

In this article, we will explore the aspects that auditors specifically seek regarding performance measurement of defined activities covering all sections of the organization impacting on food safety and quality.

The level of food safety performance is determined by the extent to which your objectives and targets related to food safety are achieved. It signifies the effectiveness and precision of your processes, activities, and outcomes in ensuring food safety. To assess your food safety performance, it is essential to define and oversee pertinent indicators, including food safety audits, inspections, tests, complaints, recalls, and corrective actions. These indicators serve as valuable tools for monitoring your adherence to food safety standards and regulations, as well as gauging your advancement towards achieving your food safety objectives.

Guidance of Auditing the Performance Measurement

1. Assess how the organization’s food safety and quality performance is measured, e.g. are food safety and quality performance targets established and monitored?
2. Assessment shall be included in the interview with personnel on the shop floor, e.g. check to see if department targets have been set, ask how they are monitored and how often they are reported and request evidence.
3. Verify how personnel receive feedback on production performance and food safety/ quality issues, e.g. an overall company dashboard clearly showing the food safety/ quality performance
4. Assess how top management evaluated food safety/ quality performance. E.g. a personnel survey that is executed periodically, specifically related to food safety/ quality, including the food safety and quality culture of the organization.
5. Assess how complaints and nonconformance issues are managed by the organization and top management, including a review of corrective action reports. E.g. check to see if trends of similar complaints are identified and select a few reports to follow the trail of what actions have been taken, verify the level of cause analysis and sufficiency of actions taken to correct each of the issues, verify the effectiveness of the actions taken by asking if any further complaints or nonconformance of similar nature have been received.
6. Assess how increased productivity affects the food safety and quality culture of the organization. E.g. are there more NCs during peak production?
7. Evaluate how the organization plans for changes and manages changes, including reviewing documented evidence thereof. Assess the capability of top management to react to, e.g. customer complaints or supplier issues, by sampling customer complaints and nonconformances.
8. Evaluate how the organization implements changes based on trending results, e.g. verify the output from management reviews.
9. Assess the organization’s management of near misses and the actions taken from near misses to drive continuous improvement, e.g. where trended data indicates the results are nearing an unacceptable level, what action is taken by the organization prior to the limit being exceeded?

GFSI Guiding Question

1. How is your food safety performance measured?
2. How do you anticipate, manage, and respond to change, learn from the past, and prepare for the future?
3. How does what you measure (e.g. customer complaints, compliance to procedures, productivity, etc.) influence your food safety culture?
4. Are your measurements related to volume/ efficiency at the expense of food safety measures?
5. How do you review your “near-misses” and use this information to drive improvements in your food safety system?

Conclusion

In summary, the importance of measuring performance in the context of food safety culture and food safety management systems is paramount. Accurate and thorough performance measurement is fundamental for organizations dedicated to upholding the safety and quality of their food products. It provides a structured and objective way to assess the effectiveness of processes, activities, and outcomes related to food safety goals. By meticulously measuring indicators such as audits, inspections, tests, complaints, recalls, and corrective actions, organizations can gain valuable insights into their adherence to standards and regulations. This information not only aids in pinpointing areas for improvement but also allows for proactive responses to emerging challenges. Ultimately, a steadfast commitment to performance measurement not only strengthens the foundation of a robust food safety culture but also ensures the continual improvement of food safety management systems, instilling confidence in consumers and bolstering trust in the industry.

Take the First Step Towards Excellence! Contact us today to learn more about how your organization can elevate your food safety standards and establish a culture of excellence within your organization.

Reference:

1. FSSC 22000 Guidance Document: Food Safety and Quality Culture.
2. A Culture of Food Safety- A Position Paper from the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).